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Suicides in New York SHUs Surge to Epidemic Levels
by Keith Sanders
After being placed in solitary confinement at New York State’s Fishkill Correctional Center in 2014, 21-year-old Ben Van Zandt, a former honors student who struggled with an undiagnosed mental health condition, begged his family to get him out of isolation. He told his mother, Alicia Barraza, that ...
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More from this issue:
- Debit Card Issuers Still Prey on People Released from Prisons and Jails: HRDC Lawsuits Challenge Companies in Court, by Andrew Stewart
- Arkansas Governor Hutchinson Grants Commutation for Blind Mother, by Kevin Bliss
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- $6 Million Payout in Montana Wrongful Conviction Case, by Derek Gilna
- NBA Owner Capitalizes on Mass Incarceration; Players Silent, by Matthew Clarke
- University of Florida Still Using Prison Labor, But End in Sight, by Kevin Bliss
- Texas Disguising Deaths in Custody, by Diana Claitor
- Administrator of “Whitey” Bulger’s Estate Sues BOP Over His Murder, by Derek Gilna
- North Carolina Case Involving Death of Black Prisoner: “I Can’t Breathe,” Revisited, by Edward Lyon
- Cost of Communicating with Prisoners Breaking Family Budgets During Pandemic, by David Reutter
- New Jersey Releases 2,258 Prisoners to Combat COVID-19 Spread, by David Reutter
- Pennsylvania Prisoner Off Death Row After 33 Years, by David Reutter
- Innovative Vermont Prison Superintendent’s Demotion for Sexist Language Proves Controversial, by Jayson Hawkins
- Another Prisoner’s Needless Death, Another Lawsuit at LaSalle-Run Texarkana Jail, by Matthew Clarke
- Federal Judge Approves $25 Million Class Action Settlement Against Global Tel*Link, by Derek Gilna
- The Latest on COVID-19: Will Vaccines be Available Soon?, by Michael D. Cohen, MD
- Former Prisoners Testify on Abuse at Notorious New Jersey Women’s Prison, by Kevin Bliss
- Fifth Circuit Order Denies Texas Prisoners Hand Sanitizer and Cleaning Supplies, by Derek Gilna
- The Role of Prosecutors in Mass Incarceration, by Jayson Hawkins
- California Passes Bill Allowing ICE Detainees to Sue Private Contractors, by Kevin Bliss
- COVID-19 Deaths in Jails, Prisons Exceed Number of Deaths by Execution From 1990 to Present, by Derek Gilna
- Missouri Executes Prisoner During COVID-19 Crisis, by Edward Lyon
- For Some Faiths in Los Angeles County Jails, Volunteer Chaplains Are in Short Supply, by Douglas Ankney
- $5.9 Million Settlement in Death of Transgender Prisoner at New York’s Rikers Island, by Matthew Clarke
- Connecticut Prisoner Commits Suicide With COVID-19 Protective Mask, by Kevin Bliss
- Prisoners Exonerated in Michigan After Police Misconduct Revealed, by Edward Lyon
- Woman Sues Mississippi Parole Board for Discrimination and Retaliation, by Anthony Accurso
- Maine Jail Gets a Pass for Using Pepper Spray on Mentally Ill Prisoners, by Daniel A. Rosen, Kevin Bliss
- Privatized Food Service Problems at Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Jail, by Jayson Hawkins
- $177,500 Settlement in Lawsuit Over Five Louisiana Prisoners Pepper-Sprayed While Handcuffed, by Matthew Clarke
- California Appellate Court Orders 50% Reduction in San Quentin Population Over Fears of COVID-19 Spread, by David Reutter
- COVID-19 Lockdowns in Prisons Affecting Post-Secondary Education, by Kevin Bliss
- Indiana Prisoner Has First Amendment Retaliation Claims Rejected by Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, by Casey Bastian
- Nine Months Later, DOJ Still Hasn’t Provided Senator Rubio With Answers About Rampant Sexual Abuse at Women’s Prisons, by Douglas Ankney
- Members of Congress Probe Pentagon on Accreditation of Military Prisons, by Douglas Ankney
- COVID-19 in the Country’s Largest Female Prison, by Edward Lyon
- $11 Million Settlement in Illinois for Three Men Freed From Prison in Wrongful Convictions, by Anthony Accurso
- Activists Call to Shut Down Illinois Prison, by David Reutter
- Suicides in New York SHUs Surge to Epidemic Levels, by Keith Sanders
- California Jail Prisoner Loses Limbs, but Faces Setback in Lawsuit Alleging Medical Neglect, by Edward Lyon
- Teen Spends 17 Months in Mississippi Jail Without Indictment, by Daniel A. Rosen
- COVID-19 Strikes Alaskan Prison, by Kevin Bliss
- California First State to Eliminate Post-Prison Fees, by Jayson Hawkins
- Julian Assange’s Potential Fate in U.S. Prisons, by Jayson Hawkins
- Families Must Pay for Cremation Bill of Loved Ones Who Die in Prison, by Kevin Bliss
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Texas Jail Suicide Lawsuit, by Matthew Clarke
- Seventh Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Illinois Prisoner’s Lawsuit Alleging Dental Care Negligence, by David Reutter
- Former Transgender Prisoner Fights for LGBTQ Rights in Massachusetts Prisons, by Kevin Bliss
- Eighth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Iowa Prisoner’s ADA Claim, by David Reutter
- Third Circuit Reinstates Claims by Immigration Detainee in GEO-Operated Prison Seeking to Marry U.S. Citizen, by Matthew Clarke
- Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Execution Drug Documents Subject to Disclosure, by Matthew Clarke
- DC Circuit Court: “Three Strike” Prisoners Must Show Imminent Danger to File Lawsuits, by David Reutter
- Whistleblower Claims Female Detainees at Privately Run Georgia ICE Facility Had Forced Hysterectomies, by Dale Chappell
- New Documentary Released on Forced Sterilizations of Female Prisoners, by Edward Lyon
- Maine Superspreader: Few Masks at Wedding Lead to Big Problems at Prison, by Jayson Hawkins
- News in Brief
More from Keith Sanders:
- No Summary Judgment for Private Transportation Company in Maryland Detainee’s Suit Alleging “Horrific” 2,000-Mile Journey, Sept. 15, 2023
- California College Offers Housing, Services to Formally Incarcerated Students, Aug. 15, 2023
- New Report Pats BOP on the Back for Addressing Problems With Restrictive Housing, PREA, Aug. 15, 2023
- Ohio Supreme Court Grants State Prisoner Another $1,000 for Denied Records, Aug. 15, 2023
- Prisoner Who Reached $11,400 Retaliation Settlement with South Dakota Jail Tries Again with DOC, July 15, 2023
- More Success for Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs in Prisons and Jails, July 15, 2023
- $15,001 Verdict Against Delaware Guard for Gaping Prisoner’s Butt During Strip Search, July 15, 2023
- Study Shows COVID-19 Drove Prison Death Rates 50% Higher, June 15, 2023
- Wellpath Subsidiary Out of Australian Women’s Prison After Indigenous Prisoner’s Death, June 15, 2023
- Specialized Police Units Hunt People for ICE, June 15, 2023
More from these topics:
- New York Prison Officials Found Routinely Violating HALT Act With Overuse of Solitary Confinement, Feb. 15, 2025. Disciplinary Hearings, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- Monterey County Pays $1 Million to Settle Suit Over Detainee Suicide by Toilet Tissue; Wellpath Pays Another Undisclosed Sum, Feb. 15, 2025. Private Contractors, Settlements, Suicides.
- DOJ Directs BOP, U.S. Marshals to Improve Suicide Prevention, Feb. 15, 2025. Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Civil Rights Violations.
- Oregon Holds BLM Protestor in Solitary Confinement for 250 Days, Feb. 15, 2025. Protests, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Racial Profiling, Prison Classification.
- Video of Autistic Ohio Teen’s Jail Death Undercuts Sheriff’s Report Calling It Suicide, Jan. 15, 2025. Disabled Prisoners, Videotaping, Restraints, Wrongful Death, Suicides, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders.
- Pennsylvania Prisoner Released from Solitary After 15 Years, Jan. 15, 2025. Disabled Prisoners, Settlements, Americans with Disabilities Act, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement.
- Six Set Themselves on Fire at Virginia Prison in 2024, Jan. 15, 2025. Retaliation, Protests, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Fire to the Prisons Magazine.
- Suicidal Texas Prisoners Held in Phone-Booth-Size “Containment Cages”, Dec. 15, 2024. Strip Cells, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Suicides.
- $28.75 Million Settlement Paid by New York City in Suit Alleging Rikers Guards Stood by and Watched Detainee Hang Himself, Nov. 15, 2024. Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Suicides.
- Ninth Circuit: No Qualified Immunity for California Jail Nurse Who Cleared Detainee for Release Just Before His Suicide, Nov. 15, 2024. Failure to Treat, Suicides, Immunity - Absolute and Qualified.